Find it dishonest? You don't think tech companies take time to make sure a smooth roll out rather than risking a huge failure and PR catastrophe that affects their brand and credibility?
I think it's wrong denying the vast majority of users of getting an update when they CAN, just because we can't be sure exactly when the very latest node in a remote corner of the worlds will get it.
That Stranger Things release is what happens when you don't prepare and have a smooth rollout. This is your 3.5.3 except every update has these issues.
Clutching at Straws are we, when you keep saying "it happens only at FSDT", yet I keep posting real world examples how these things HAPPENING and HAPPENED. BTW, Netflix stock when down after the Tyson vs Paul match, because they couldn't keep up with a Live transmission. But I'm not counting this, because it's a Live show, completely different issue.
I specifically cited Stranger Things to counter your argument that everybody "prepares in advance" for a big release. Yes, in an ideal world they do. And as you said yourself, those companies (the other is Microsoft, of course), OWN THE CDN. They have dedicated team that have no other job that minding the CDN.
We are just Cloudflare's customers, and must deal with normal user support.